How To Avoid Infection

[thelastspud]

Hey everyone ive had a apa sitting in the fermenter in a fridge for about 5 weeks now.
Slow fermentation i know i had a few issues with the fridge being too cold because i dont have proper temp control yet, just one of those plug in timers. but its down to 1.010 now.

When i looked at it today i found mold growing on the fermenter tap.
So do you think i can bottle without that getting in? It would be a shame to throw it out, it smells great and tastes good too.

 

[kook]

I've had this happen on occasions too. I just sprayed the tap with a hot sodium percarbonate / PBW mix, then sprayed with water, then with sanitiser.

The hot percarbonate / PBW will lift off the mould very quickly.

I now squirt the tap with sanitiser after I've taken a gravity reading, stops any mould getting there in the first place as you clean up the wort residue.

 

[Rodolphe01]

Use a spray bottle or syringe and wash around the tap with sanitiser and spray up inside the tap before bottling, i sometimes get mould around my taps, it is just from wort dripping from the tap or condensation in the fridge.

 

[shawnheiderich]

Get in there with an ear bud, wipe then sanitise.

Shawn

 

[manticle]

Even without visible mould, I do the above before bottling.

 

[thelastspud]

Every brew i do there seems to be another new cleaning step.

Thanks for all the advice guys ill have to put a spray bottle of no-rinse on top of the fridge so i dont forget

 

[Jazzafish]

I too come from the clean and sanitizer sprayed on the tap before all transfers. However I also run a cup off before transfer. Just in case, and to sample

Seeing you have the mould on the tap I'd clean the tap and go a little overboard on the sanitizer to be safe.

 

[BottleBitch]

Bradley once you have mixed PAA with water it quickly breaks down and becomes inactive; all you are left with is some sanitized water in a bottle after a very short time.

Ethanol and distilled water mixed 70% and 30% are much better as a long lasting sanitizer to use on your tap before and after taking a sample. You can make it up very cheaply using mentholated sprites (which is 96% ethanol) and distilled water which is available at your supermarket for next to nothing, I buy it in the 4L & 5L bottles so I always have heaps of it on hand.

As Kook said
"I've had this happen on occasions too. I just sprayed the tap with a hot sodium percarbonate / PBW mix, then sprayed with water, then with sanitiser. The hot percarbonate / PBW will lift off the mould very quickly."

It is very important to clean the soiled area with a system similar to what Kook has used above. Do all this and you shouldnt have any issues

Cheers

Brett

 

[manticle]

I mix my sanitiser up fresh each time I use it. Just a 5 mL syringe is all that's required.

As is often mentioned - sanitising is only effective on a surface that's clean so clean first, then sanitise.